Inside the Ropes: What can Fury do to turn the tables on Usyk?

(Featured image: Alamy Images)

Written by: Steven Wellings

Each week, Steve Wellings — a man with over 20 years' experience covering boxing for various publications and current online editor of Boxing News — will be drilling down on some of the boxing world's biggest topics via our new column, Inside the Ropes.

On May 18 Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk went to war for the right to be called undisputed heavyweight champion of the world — the first in 25 years.

After Usyk won a deserved decision, this weekend, in the same venue, Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, they do it all over again. For Usyk, repeat is enough. For Fury, revenge must include something different from their last meeting.

The first fight bubbled and simmered early on before exploding into life after the halfway mark, culminating in a perfectly captivating crescendo. It was tense, exciting, action-packed and unforgettable.

We’ve seen both men make adjustments in the past, during a fight and ahead of an important rematch. While Father Time waits for no boxer, heavyweights tend to mature a little later and while each man grows older, Usyk has aged better.

Going the distance has never been an issue. However, given Fury’s lifestyle, up and down moods and weight fluctuations, how many more times can he turn on the switch like in the past?

Tyson Fury endured three punishing battles against Deontay Wilder. It is often mentioned how much those collective fights took out of Wilder, ultimately leaving the one-time destroyer as a gun-shy shell of his former self.

But even in victory, how much did those fights take out of Fury? You can only go to the well so many times. 

Fury was floored on four occasions across three ferocious meetings with Deontay Wilder. (Photo credit: Alamy Images)

After a career full of mental and physical battles, including an extended period away from the ring following his win and subsequent destruction post-Klitschko, the miles on the clock are adding up fast.

Facing a big lump like Chisora, Whyte or Ngannou, or even a power-punching specimen like Wilder is tough enough. Trying to solve the puzzles set by a comparatively sprightly cruiserweight, equipped with mobility and footwork, is another thing entirely.

Usyk may be smaller, but he uses those physical “disadvantages” to his favour. Solid power, accurate and sharp southpaw punching are weapons the 22-0 star has utilised often. 

Turning Fury into shots, setting an energetic pace, generally causing the bigger, stronger men problems as they try to lean in, grab him and drain the tank. Usyk’s inside game is as good as anybody’s in the business.

Usyk’s ability to mix the levels, high to low, slow to fast, has been a career game changer for him. Using the old southpaw classic of constantly prodding the body, before switching upstairs was the success maker in round nine.

So, what does Fury need to change from the first fight? He must be wiser to Usyk’s moves for a start, which is easier said than done.

The middle rounds of the first fight saw Fury force the Ukrainian backwards, dictate terms behind his jab and uppercut, pushing forward and feinting even when not throwing. The concern lies in whether he can maintain that for a hard-paced 36 minutes.

 

Fury cannot allow Usyk to set such a high tempo, decree when and where the fight exchanges take place and initiate every flow. It’s all easier said than done and perfect examples of why Fury has a tougher time of turning things around in part two.

Fury showed in the Wilder fights, two and three, that he can adjust his approach. Wilder was rattled, though. Usyk, on the other hand, has won the mental game here. The Ukrainian isn’t intimidated by Fury; he can match him for cognitive amusements. Fury even respects his opponent. Perhaps when the dust settles, they will be friends. 

Usyk is able to joke around and then take things seriously when it matters. Manny Pacquiao used to do a similar thing to opponents. Appear suited and booted at press conferences, softly spoken, smiling, and full of compliments, until fight night when ‘Pacman’ unleashed his fast-handed ferocity upon them.

Unless Tyson Fury and his team can adapt, find another gear and maintain confident consistency, the titles won’t be changing hands on Saturday evening.

Usyk is no stranger to entering the ring with a disadvantage in size. (Photo credit: Alamy Images)

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 Betting Odds

Usyk almost got rid of Fury in round nine of their first meeting. If you fancy him to get the job done this time in that same session, he’s 28/1. Fury, meanwhile, is 7/4 to score a knockdown and while Usyk’s beard has always been pretty solid, Daniel Dubois still believes to this day that he hurt him to the body (ruled low) and Anthony Joshua certainly did in their rematch, also contested on Saudi soil.

The draw is 16/1 and given the tight nature of the first fight, which ended in a split decision, having three judges unable to split them after 12 rounds is not an outrageous possibility. What then for the heavyweight division?

Usyk vs Fury 2 undercard is functional and unspectacular

It’s an interesting undercard, if not packed to the rafters with scintillating matchups. Serhii Bohachuk was due to fight Israil Madrimov, who was then announced to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr two months later IF he were to beat Bohachuk first.

Madrimov unsurprisingly fell ill just after the February 22 fight with Ortiz was announced, and Ishmael Davis stepped in for this opportunity.

Rising heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma should bash Aussie Demsey McKean about, although it is a step up in class.

Peter McGrail was supposed to meet Dennis McCann in an all-British dust-up. McCann tested positive for a banned substance and Rhys Edwards has taken the chance to face McGrail.

Isaac Lowe fights Lee McGregor at featherweight. Johnny Fisher gets a crack at UK heavyweight stalwart Dave Allen. 

* All odds correct on Oddschecker as of 19/12/2024

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